2012 College Basketball Picks and Predictions: Top 5 Shooting Guards: In some ways, the true shooting guard is a dying breed in college basketball. More and more, teams are taking their best shooters and making them hybrid point guards, putting the ball in the hands of their best scorer as often as possible. That being said, there have still been some excellent players at the position in recent years that have played off the ball in a more traditional fashion. There are also several players cut out of the same mold ready to take the court in the 2012-13 season, and with that in mind, here is a look at the top shooting guards in the country.
2012 College Basketball Picks and Predictions: Top 5 Shooting Guards
1. C.J. McCollum, Lehigh Mountain Hawks
There is little doubt that McCollum is the top gunner is college hoops. Whether he is knocking down shots from beyond the arc or getting to the foul line, he just knows how to put the ball in the basket. He has averaged at least 19.8 points in all three seasons at Lehigh, including a career-high 21.9 last year. He also chipped in with 6.5 rebounds and a career-high 3.5 assists last year to go along with 2.6 steals per game. McCollum is a natural scorer on offense and a thief on defense, and he might just lead the country in scoring this year.
2. B.J. Young, Arkansas Razorbacks
Although he is just entering his sophomore season, Young’s freshman campaign was so impressive that he already lands at the No. 2 spot. He averaged 15.3 points per game in 2011-12 and did so on 50.4 percent shooting. Young also averaged 1.6 3-pointers per game on 41.3 percent shooting. Needless to say, he has a smooth stroke and plenty of range, and Young should only see his scoring average rise as he gains experience and learns to get to the foul line more often. There aren’t many perimeter players that shoot more than 50 percent from the field, and Young’s ability to do so gives him enormous upside.
3. Michael Snaer, Florida State Seminoles
After spending his first two seasons at Florida State as a lockdown perimeter defender, Snaer has molded himself to an offensive threat, as well. He averaged a career-high 14.0 points per game last year, and more importantly, he hit 1.9 3-pointers per game on 40.4 percent shooting. Snaer is never going to be a 20-point shooter, but his expanding offensive game combined with his elite-level defense makes him the best two-way shooting guard in the country.
4. Khalif Wyatt, Temple Owls
The Temple senior might be the best shooter that most of the country has never heard of. Wyatt averaged a career-high 17.1 points per game last season and chipped in more than three rebounds and three assists, as well. He does a little bit of everything on the offensive end, and last year, he averaged 1.7 3-pointers per game to go along with 5.8 free throw attempts. Overall, Wyatt shot 47.9 percent from the floor, 37.9 percent from beyond the arc and 85.6 percent from the foul line in 2011-12. Plain and simple, he is an efficient, productive perimeter scorer.
5. Jamaal Franklin, San Diego State Aztecs
Franklin was given the chance to start as a sophomore last year, and he responded by averaging 17.4 points. He did some of his damage from beyond the arc, but with his 6’5” frame, Franklin did a ton of damage by getting to the foul line where he shot 80 percent. Another aspect of his game is his ability to help on the glass. Last year, Franklin pulled down 7.9 rebounds per game, which is a ridiculous total for a guard. With another year of experience, he could become a potential double-double guy, making him a luxury at the shooting guard spot.
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